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Tonight, a majority of voters in Maryland voted FOR Question 6, upholding the freedom to marry law that passed in the state legislature and was signed by Governor Martin O'Malley in March 2012. Maryland will begin issuing marriage
licenses to same-sex couples on January 1, 2013.

Shawn Werner, Freedom to Marry's Director of Political Operations and a key adviser to the Maryland campaignm, commented on the win tonight. He said:

Maryland’s voters agreed with their lawmakers, governor, and a
majority of Americans nationwide: same-sex couples should not be denied the
chance to make the ultimate commitment because of whom they love. We look
forward to all the marriages we’ll celebrate in 2013, even as we turn our
momentum into more victories across the country.

Marylanders for Marriage Equality led the public education effort in
the state, with a special focus on engaging
African-American clergy and community leaders to speak out.

Freedom to Marry partnered with the NAACP National Voter Fund for
Question 6 on a radio spot and print ads featuring NAACP Chairman Emeritus
Julian Bond making a civil rights argument for the freedom to marry. In
addition, Freedom to Marry helped create and fund a radio spot featuring
President Barack Obama speaking of his journey to support for marriage. In
total, Freedom to Marry invested more than $200,000 into the campaign for
marriage in Maryland in 2011-2012, building on years of partnership in the state
laying the groundwork for victory.

Maryland is now the eighth state to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage. Maryland joins Maine's historic victory from less than an hour ago. It's a huge night for the freedom to marry: President Barack Obama became the first pro-marriage candidate elected to the nation's highest office, Maine proactively won the freedom to marry at the ballot, and now Maryland has joined Maine! Victory!